Model building



SLBM

B. E. LUTHER Sep. 6, i960 MODEL BUILDING Filed April 30, 1957 INVENTOR.Berri-i l E. Lu 'her BY @wfg 2,951,311 MODEL BUnniNG Berti! E. Luther,6822 S. M St., Tacoma, Wash.

uned Apr. so, 1957, ser. N0. 655,987

`4 cram. (ci. als- 19) A This invention relates -to model buildings.

It is the general object of this invention to provide a disassemblableor knockdown model building of the class used by architects,contractors, and other interested in construction work for laying ou-tproposed buildings in order to study them and decide upon structuralarrangements preliminary to erecting the buildings.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a knockdownmodel building which may be used as an educational toy by children.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a knockdownmodel building which is adaptable to the construction of a wide varietyof buildings having varying floor plans and one or more stories.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a knockdownmodel building which has provision for readily including doors, windows,chimneys, and other structural members in the finished model.

lt is another object of the present invention to provide a knockdownmodel building which lis provided with means Afor self-aligning thevarious pieces of which the model is built so that a true representationof the building is obtained.

it is another object of the present invention to provide a knockdownmodel building which is stable and self supporting when erected, butwhich may be readily disassembled when it has served its purpose.

The manner in which the foregoing and other objects of this inventionare accomplished will be apparent from Ithe accompanying specication andclaims considered together with the drawings wherein:

Figure l is a perspective, fragmentary view of the herein describedmodel building, partly broken away to show the interior construction;

Figure 2 is a detail sectional view in elevation taken along line 2-2 ofFigure 1, illustrating the manner of interconnecting the floor joistsand studs and of applying the siding;

Figure 3 is a sectional fragmentary view taken along line 3-3 of Figure2;

Figure 4 is a detail view, taken along Kline 4-4 of Figure 1, of acorner construction which may be included in the presently describedmodel building; and

Figures 5 and 6 are, respectively, center and end exploded views furtherillustrating the construction of the herein described model building.

In essence, the hereindescribed model building comprises a plurality ofoor joists releasably interconnected with a plurality of floor headers,and a plurality of ceiling joists releasably interconnected to aplurality of ceiling headers. Spaced studs mounted on the oor joists support the ceiling joists.

A plurality of rafters suitably supported by trusses are superimposedabove the ceiling joists. A roof is superimposed on the rafters, andsiding is mounted on the studs by magnetic attraction. All of the framemembers are interlocked and assembled by releasable joints so that aftera building having a first plan has been erected, it

Patented Sept. 6, 1960 2 may easily be disassembled a'nd rebuilt into abuilding having aditerent plan. Y

Considering the foregoing in greater detail and with particularreference to the drawings:

' As i's particularly manifest from Figures 5 and 6, the model buildingof my invention is supported on oor joists 10, 12, 14 which are adapted-to lie on the supporting surface. Joists 10 are designed `for use inthe central portions of the building. Their ends are formed withvertical tongue sections 16 and their intermediate segments carry thehorizontal dowel pins `18.

Joists 12 are designed to lie at the ends of the building. Like joists10, their ends are formed with vertical tongue sections, indica-ted at20, and their intermediate por-tions carry horizontal dowel pinsindicated at 22. In addition, their central upper faces carry dowelopenings 24.

Joists 14 serve as end pieces and their inner faces are formed withdowel openings 26 dimensioned to receive pins 22 on joists 12.

The oor joists are spaced apart from each other and interconnected by aplurality of floor headers 28. The ends of Ithe headers are providedwith longitudinal dowel openings 3() into which dowel pins 18, 22extending transversely of the joists, may be inserted.

The ceiling construction is somewhat similar to the Hoor construction inthat it includes a plurality of transverse joists and longitudinalheaders interconnected by suitable means such as dowels. Thus there areprovided intermediate ceiling joists 32 which register with floor joists10. The ends of these joists have tapered upper surfaces 34 arid areformed with vertical tongues sections 36. The central portions of thejoists are formed with vertical tongue sections 38, and transverseopenings 49 are provided to receive dowels 41.

Ceiling joists 42 at the ends of the building include tapered end4surfaces 44, longitudinal grooves 46, and openings 48 dimensioned toreceive dowel pins 50.

The ceiling joists are spaced apart and releasably interconnected byceiling headers S2. The ends of these carry dowel pin openings 54adapted to receive dowels 41, 50. p

The ceiling and roof assemblies are supported on the floor assembly byappropriately arranged stud members. These are of three classes. Studs56 of the first class are placed along the sides of the building. Theirupper ends are formed with grooves 58 adapted to receive tongues 36 onceiling joists 32. Their lower ends are formed with grooves 60dimensioned to receive tongues 16 on iloor joists 10.

Studs 62 of the second class are stationed along the ends of thebuilding. Their upper ends are formed with grooves 64 for engaging asidewall of Vgroove 46 on end ceiling joist 42. Their lower ends carrydowel pins 66 which may be inserted in openings 24 in floor joists 112.

Studs 68 of the third class serve as corne-r posts. Their upper ends areformed Iwith slots 70k in such a manner that -a sidewall of each slotmaybe inserted as a tongue in groove 46 on ceiling joist 42. The lowerends of corner posts 68 are formed with grooves 72 which receive tonguesections 20 on iloor joists 12.

The studs carry means for applying the siding quickly and easily to thesides of the building. Thus the side stud members 56 are provided withexterior, centrally located, grooves into which are pressed bar magnets74, which are magnetized crosswise of their length. The ends of studs 62are provided with similar centrally located bar magnets, notillustrated. Vertically extending magnets 76 are glued in offsetrecesses in corner posts 68 in the manner particularly apparent inFigures 4 and 6.

Siding elements are provided having any suitable form and contour, forexample the simulated lap siding pieces 80 illustrated in Figures 1 and2. The inner faces of these elements carry pads or strips 82 of a metalhaving magnetic susceptibility, it being understood that if desired, therelative positions of Ithe magnets and metal inserts may be reversed,themagnets being carried on the siding and the metal inserts on thestuds. Accordingly, the siding may be laid up on the studs where it isheld releasably by the magnetic force exerted by the magnets.

In a similar manner various other structural assemblies may be appliedto the side of the building. Such assem` blies include door frames 84which may or Vmay not have side window frames 86; Window assemblies S8of any desired size and shape; simulated fireplace chimneys, etc. Theseall may be'prefabricated, supplied with metal inserts, and applied tothe studs in the manner indicated.

The roof assembly is supported by and centered on the ceiling joists andstuds. To this end there are provided the vertical truss members 90 thelower ends of which are formed with grooves 92 which receive tongues 38on ceiling joists 32. The upper ends of truss members 90 are formed withgrooves 92 dimensioned to receive rafters 94. The rafters preferably areformed of two pieces placed end to end at any desired angle to form theroof peak. Their extremities are provided with grooves 96 which receiveinwardly extending tongues 98 on gutter assemblies 100.

The upper surfaces of the rafters are formed with longitudinal groovesinto which are pressed transversely magnetized bar magnets 102. Theseattract and hold the roof sections 104 which are prefabricated in any desired style, and the under surfaces of which carry tabs, plates orstrips of metal having magnetic susceptibility so that when they areapplied to the rafters, they are maintained in place by magneticattraction. It is to be noted further that the upper ends of the raftersare held securely in grooves 92 on trusses 90 while their lower ends areheld securely in grooves 58 on the upper ends of the studs, whichgrooves also receive tongues 36 of the ceiling joists, making a compact,integrated union of the three parts.

To further finish off the ends of the building, gable ends 106 may beapplied across the outer faces of the end rafters and a oor may be laid.Also, the corners may be completed by inserting vertical corner pieces108 in Kthe angle between adjacent ends of the siding. These pieces maybe held in place by suitable means, for example by means of metal tabs110 connected thereto and made of magnetically susceptible metal so thatwhen they are inserted beneath the siding, adjacent the magnets,magnetic attraction will hold the pieces in place.

In erecting the hereindescribed model building, the selected number offloor joists 10, 12, 14 are connected with floor headers 28. The basicceiling framework then is assembled, using ceiling joists 32, 42interconnected with ceiling headers 52. Gable ends 106 may be applied ifdesired.

Next studs 56, 62 and corner posts 68 are put into position and theceiling assembly superimposed thereon. Trusses 90 are set in notches 3S,and ceiling joist 32 and rafters 94 put in place. The magneticallysusceptible roof pieces 104 may then be layed on magnets 102 on therafters, and magnetically susceptible siding pieces 80 placed over themagnets in the studs. The door, window and other finishing assembliesthen may be placed over the magnets in the indicated positions tocomplete the assembly,

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and thatvarious changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or thescope of the su'bjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A model building comprising a building frame including a corner post,a bar magnet fastened to an outer face of the post longitudinallythereof, siding pieces mounted on the outside faces of the post withtheir ends adjacent and forming an angular recess, a vertically arrangedcorner piece seated in the angular recess, and tabs of magnetic materialfastened to the vertical corner piece and extending beneath the sidingacross the magnet for supporting the corner piece.

2. A knockdown model building comprising a plurality of floor joistshaving a vertically disposed tongue located inwardly from and adjacenteach end thereof, a plurality of floor headers extending at right anglesto the joists, dowel connections between the floor joists and iloorheaders releasably interconnecting these members together, a pluralityof ceiling joists having a vertically disposed tongue located inwardlyfrom and adjacent each end thereof and having a central tongue, uppertapered portions on the ceiling joists adjacent the ends thereof, aplurality of ceiling headers extending at right angles to the ceilingjoists, dowel connections between the ceiling joists and ceiling headersreleasably connecting these members together, a plurality of studshaving upper and lower end grooves releasably engageable respectively ina friction fit with the end tongues of the ceiling joists and the floorjoists, a plurality of rafters, and truss members having upper and lowerend grooves releasably engageable respectively in a friction fit withthe rafters and the central tongues of the ceiling joists to support therafters in inclined position, the upper end grooves of the studs beingdimensioned Vto receive by a releasable frictional t both the tonguesections of the ceiling joists and the outer endsrof the rafters, theouter ends of the rafters engaging the tapered portion of the ceilingjoists.

3. A knoclrdown model building comprising floor joists having avertically disposed tongue located inwardly from and Iadjacent each endthereof, ceiling joists having a vertically disposed tongue locatedinwardly from and adjacent each end thereof, upper tapered portions onthe ceiling joists adjacent the ends thereof, studs extending verticallybetween the floor and ceiling joists, the studs having upper and lowerend grooves lfrictionally engageable respectively with the end tonguesof the ceiling and oor joists, and rafters supported at their outer ends011 the ceiling joists, the upper end grooves of the studs beingdimensioned to receive by a releas'able frictional ft both the tonguesections of the ceiling joists and the outer ends of the rafters, theouter ends of the rafters engaging the tapered portion of the ceilingjoists.

4. The building of claim 3 wherein the rafters have end grooves, andgutter means frictionally engageable with the end grooves to be mountedon the end of the rafters.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS390,296 Haldernan Oct. 2, 1888 797,640 'Thompson Aug. 22, 1905 1,236,234Troje Aug. 7, 1917 1,421,299 Palen June 27, 1922 1,437,867 Sixta Dec. 5,1922 1,492,560 Fisher May 6, 1924 1,535,035 Philipp Apn 30, '19251,673,788 Hobson June 12, 1928 2,760,275 Stein Aug. 28, 1953 FOREIGNPATENTS 992,318 France Oct. 17, 1951 670,705. Great Britain Apr. 23,1952

